Le/les, de/du

Question

Bonjour a tous,I am new here. Please I find it difficult to identify when le or les is pronounced. The same goes for de/du.Is there any way I can always identify each of these when pronounced?Merci.

Zeraine Lastname · Accepted Answer

Le sounds like "luh"
Les sounds like "leh". If the next word after "les" starts with a vowel, it'll be pronounced  like "lez"
 
"de" sounds like "duh"
to pronounce the u in "du", first, say "eee". While doing so, round your lips. That's how you pronounce the French's u in general.
 
Hope I helped.

David Issokson · Answer

Hi! Le rhymes with je! Les is pronounced "lay". De also rhymes with je. Du rhymes with tu (familiar form or you).

Cécile Janty-Davies · Answer

Thanks, guys, it is always helpful to have non-native inputs for pronunciation help.
My students used to find the -u of rue difficult to pronounce as there's no real equivalent in English but some students knew how to say -

correctly.
This might help!